Blindness
by umilav
Summary: Sakura is tasked to blind a captured Uchiha Itachi. [ItaSaku, NaruSaku]
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Sakura is tasked to blind a captured Uchiha Itachi. [ItaSaku, NaruSaku]

I've taken liberties with their characters; you could say they are all OOC to an extent.

A/N: Events are altered during the fight between brothers. The fated fight is interrupted by Danzo towards the end when both brothers were weakened, and kills Sasuke. He fails to kill Itachi. Tsunade does not recover from her coma, and Naruto becomes Hokage. Everything else substantially follows the manga except for a few details. This story takes place two years hence, just before the Fourth Ninja War.

**Blindness**

**Chapter 1: Torture**

* * *

The last of the evening was fading away between the mountains but she still could not sleep. Sakura bolted upright and stood up, pacing the room. The wind rushed past her hair as she does, and she shivered in the thin fabric of her evening gown, suddenly aware of another presence in the room. There was no knocking when he came, a member of the ANBU Root, crouched low in the dark corner of her room. His mask revealed bear markings, unnaturally bright in the dark. Sakura did not bother asking him how he came to be there.

"You are being summoned, Sakura-san."

By Danzo, no doubt, ANBU Root head, after all these years. The Hokage would have barged right in if he needed her.

"For what purpose?"

Silence.

"Where?"

"Room 130, Intelligence Division."

By then Sakura had already put on her coat.

* * *

When she arrived there was just two of them. Or three, if there was a human being beneath the black covering in the middle of the table. Sakura looked at Danzo and bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

"Sakura," he drawled, wasting no time. "This is a most sensitive operation."

Sakura nodded lightly, wrapping her arms around her. If Naruto had trusted Danzo enough to let him retain the Root under his command, she cannot refuse him without just cause.

"You are to do exactly three things."

Danzo paced slowly around the table, closer to Sakura. The floorboards creaked in anticipation.

"First, I need you to take his eyes out. Damage the nerve cells around the eyes."

Danzo was staring at her, gauging her.

"Second. No communication with him during the entirety of the operation. He is not a patient."

Danzo stopped, a meter away from her. She met his gaze, her questions apparent.

"Third. Do the first two without questions."

Sakura clenched her fists in her robe to keep herself from trembling. She was a medic, not a butcher. She began to move, noticing for the first time how all her equipment had been transported to the division. Naruto in all probability knew nothing of this. She always wondered why he gave this fossil blanket authority to act and command some ANBU Root of his own. Danzo always had something up his sleeve.

"Danzo-_sama_," Sakura called, her back to the ANBU head. "I would prefer that you situate yourself elsewhere."

"I will leave after you sedate him."

Sakura prepared her sedative and promptly removed the black cloth covering the table. She recoiled at the sight.

On the table lay Uchiha Itachi, blindfolded and bleeding. He was naked from waist up, and his body was covered by deep lacerations, spread unevenly across his torso and his arms. His cheeks were swollen and there were already scars forming in his face. The bruises spread everywhere, sheer cascades of hues: yellow, rust, blue, pink, red, gray and purple, every color spilling over the others. And they told the story entire. Whatever had been done to him it seems they had melted parts of his flesh, a brand of torture so characteristically Danzo.

"We drained him of chakra, but it is not enough. His eyes must be removed."

Sakura tentatively took one of Itachi's hands into hers, and turned it so his palm faced her. The flesh of his hand stuck out and she could clearly see the shape of a bone. It was grotesque; the wounds were not cleanly cut.

"You tore the tendons on his right arm," she stated quietly. "We still follow due process in criminal cases involving S-ranked shinobi. You should have handed him over to Ibiki-san and the Interrogation Force. I believe you are out of hand, Danzo-sama."

"I was given a free hand in capturing missing nins. By the hokage's orders," Danzo replied. "Uchiha Itachi attacked me. I will turn him over as soon as I am sure he no longer poses a threat."

Sakura held the Uchiha's hand still, tapping on his palm gently. One of his fingers lifted slightly. The Uchiha was half-conscious. Sakura carefully dabbed cotton in antiseptic and wiped it on the Uchiha's arm. She promptly injected the sedative. "How long has he been with your group? Does the Hokage know?"

"I believe I told you no questions must be asked, Sakura."

"You told me you would leave after I have induced the sedative."

Sakura turned to look at Danzo. He looked back at her, then turned on his heel. Sakura removed the Uchiha's blindfold. Eyes closed, he looked just like Sasuke, except her former teammate had shorter hair. Sakura pulled on her gloves and began gathering chakra to close the wounds in his right hand. She applied her power quickly, then moved to his face, reducing its swelling.

His good hand shot up suddenly, grabbing hold of her wrist.

Sakura gave a start, and gasped as he opened his eyes fully. They were bloodshot, but alert. And they were staring at her. He took his time assessing his punisher and he seemed to be reading her smallest movements. There was strength still in his grip, but the sedative will work its way quickly into his veins. Sakura returned his odd gaze and let herself be held as he tugged her closer. She waited.

The release came several minutes later. He never once averted his gaze.

* * *

Itachi's head throbbed painfully and his entire body felt like an open wound, like every cell was on fire. He knew he was lying flat in intelligence division, sprawled like frog to be dissected. There was cloth tied around his head, covering his eyes. He did not try to open them.

He must have been asleep for almost two days, judging by the dryness of his lips. He took in a shuddering breath, trying to sense anyone's presence in the room. All he sensed was his own blood, the tang of metal filling his own nostrils. He sat up as quietly as he could. His body felt better than it had the past few days.

They should have killed him. He had been caught in his failed assassination attempt, but he had gotten what he wanted from Danzo. Danzo's treachery had been revealed to him ages ago, but he could not make his move until Danzo, contrary to their agreement, had Sasuke killed.

Light footsteps made its way to him and soon someone began changing the bandages around his eyes. He was sure it was not the emerald-eyed medic called Sakura. She had smelled different, like laundry soap and vanilla and antiseptic. Her pink hair was wild, tousled and uneven, reaching her shoulders. Her skin paled under his touch, she blushed in surprise when he grabbed her, but her eyes showed no trepidation. They were wide and glassy and mesmerizing, but full of coldness and finality, as if she had decided to take his fate into her hands without looking back.

Something pinched his skin, and he knew it was the sugar they were injecting to keep him alive. He lay back down, too tired to keep himself upright. He felt disconnected. He knew all was darkness, but all he could see crimson red staining the ground. It was his blood, and his brother's.

He had gambled so hard, and won. It would be his turn next.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Sakura is tasked to blind a captured Uchiha Itachi. [ItaSaku, NaruSaku]

**Blindness**

**Chapter 2: Temptation**

* * *

She knew she had lost something when she woke up that day.

"Sakura?"

She was in Naruto's office, absently fiddling with the pen she had given him on his desk.

"We are trying him tomorrow," he said, watching her behind a mountainload of paperwork.

"I know."

"Are you all right, Sakura?"

She turned to Naruto briskly, wondering when he had changed so much as to drop all endearments from her name. He had grown gracefully, and was a good head taller than her. She did not want to notice, but he had become rakishly handsome it was impossible not to stare at him when he was not looking. She must have been blind not to have seen all the signs. Sasuke was gone, but the only teammate she had left was going farther away from her. It did not help that girls from ages 8 to 35 looked at him with gooey eyes whenever he passed by.

She sighed. He really should go out with Hinata soon.

Naruto chuckled softly while signing some papers. Sakura snapped back to reality.

"I hope you weren't thinking about something perverted, Sakura."

Sakura smirked, then waved her hand dismissively. "I was just thinking that you should go out with Hinata. She has suitors within the ANBU, you know."

"Aren't you well informed."

She shrugged, smiling. "I just think you would look good together."

"How about you?"

"Me?" she asked. "I'll just be by myself for a while, I guess."

"No, I meant—" Naruto cut himself off. "Well, I'll just be by myself too. You might be alone for a long time you know?"

Sakura gave a small laugh, then bowed playfully, "I am most honored, Hokage-sama."

He cleared his throat, then grinned. "You should be, medic. In exchange you must give me night massages—"

She laughed, holding one hand to her side. "Seriously, though," she wiped the smile off her face. "I don't know how you can be so incredibly lighthearted about this, Naruto-kun. The Uchiha murderer is at your doorstep. He killed Sasuke-kun."

Naruto paused from signing, then leaned back steadily. "He's blind, was tortured for a full week by Danzo, and will be on trial tomorrow. I will not deal death so eagerly."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, standing up. "Pity? You pity him?"

He was silent.

"He did not ask for it," her voice shook with emotion, "he did not show it. Not once, not ever."

"Would you kill him if you were in my place?"

Sakura paused, features darkening. "That's unfair. You know I wouldn't."

Naruto was unperturbed. "You healed him, didn't you, Sakura?"

"Because I had to," Sakura retorted. "I had to heal him because I was inflicting greater injury. I took no pleasure in either."

"He has nothing. He had nothing but power before, and he has even less now. No power, no family, no village, no friends. What greater punishment is there?"

Sakura turned on her heel to walk to the door. Naruto instantly followed, grabbing her by her arm and forced her to face him.

"I know you are angry because of what Danzo asked you to do," he said in a low voice, his eyes burning into hers, "but I have thought this through. Trust me."

"I trust you, Naruto-kun" Sakura said, trying to keep the trembling from her voice.

He held her hand between his. "You will not stain your hands again."

* * *

Sakura entered Danzo's lair unceremoniously, situated ominously at the edge of the village near the forest of death. She began dictating identification codes to the ANBU posted at the door, while pulling her hair up in a bun. There was actually no Intelligence Division Room 130. It was ANBU code for Danzo's missions.

She was led to the inner room.

"I wish to speak with him," she said quietly to the ANBU posted by the door. He nodded in understanding, then left her. There was no reason to be worried about a half-dead, blinded Uchiha, who cannot perform even the simplest seals.

Sakura entered the room. He was taking a bath.

She proceeded to the bathroom. She decided her questions were more pressing and important than his privacy. And it was not unheard of for medics and ANBU guards to watch high profile criminals even while taking a bath. They were not afforded any kind of privacy.

She closed the door behind her. He was simply standing in the shower, face up, with the blindfold, and fully clothed.

"I was waiting for you," came his greeting. His voice was deep and he addressed her as if they were merely continuing past conversation. He began taking off his clothes using his left arm.

Sakura crossed her arms on her chest.

"What did you do to me?"

He was fully naked, except for the blindfold. Sakura watched him wash his hair and body in soap. He was taking his time. She trained her gaze on his face.

"Answer me."

He turned the shower off and turned to her. Sakura averted her gaze and handed his clothes. He did not take them. He closed the space between them and stood before her, dripping wet.

"Put your clothes on."

He turned on the shower and the noise drowned their voices once more. He held her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Sakura, take the cloth off."

"Don't call me by my first name."

The Uchiha was smirking. Sakura breathed heavily then raised her hands to untie the knot behind his head. She dropped the bloodied cloth and observed his face. His face looked the way it should after an operation: parts of it were still swollen, but there was nothing amiss. He raised his good arm and leaned it against the wall, resting his naked body against hers. All that water, and he was still dehydrated he could not even stand for minutes long.

Sakura felt her ears ringing. There something wrong about all of this. She had to get outside. There were no cameras in the bathroom, no way anyone would hear her if something was amiss.

"Please stop leaning against me. Put your clothes on and we'll head outside."

He placed his hand on her chest. "You're nervous."

Sakura ignored him and lowered her body, attempting to half-carry him outside, but he had pushed her against the wall. He aligned his body languidly against her, and Sakura felt something rise, hard as iron, and throbbing near her thighs. Sakura drew a sharp intake of breath, shocked at the force of his arousal. Her breath stilled in her chest. There was not enough oxygen to survive within five minutes of the Uchiha.

She forced the calm in her voice. "Let me go."

"Should I open them?"

She felt panic well up within her. "What are you talking about?"

When his eyelids started drawing apart, she immediately pieced it together. She began to scream, but he had already closed his lips on her mouth, his left arm pinning her right. She tried pushing him with her other arm, but he was not moving. The moment she stopped resisting to gather strength, he pushed his tongue inside her mouth and tasted her. He slid his left hand under her shirt and caressed her, then his hand traveled downwards.

She gasped when she felt his hand between her legs, and at that moment, he stopped.

He turned away from her. In a flash he was fully clothed, and out of her sight.

* * *

Itachi leaned his head against the wall quietly, willing himself to sleep. Tomorrow he would be tried.

He had not expected to lose himself so easily in her presence. She had pushed him away, but she had been ready. He smirked to himself. He wanted her, and she wanted him. He could smell her need and taste her lust, even now. But there were better places to fuck her in, and not inside a dingy bathroom in a cell somewhere in Konoha.

She had already betrayed Konoha once. She can redeem herself and turn him in, completely, tomorrow. If she chose to be silent, he would not betray her. He can kill the conniving rat Danzo, without an arm, and with both eyes closed.


End file.
